“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
It’s an interesting quote, isn’t it? Basically, it means that at a certain point in someone’s life, they stop learning, or at least stop being able to apply what they have learned to do new things.
The best time to teach dogs and people tricks is while they are young, and once they get older, they just stop. But if that is true, then why does the phrase “You can teach an old dog new tricks” get said with such disbelief so many times?
Well, that’s because the first statement is wrong. There are plenty of people who have continued learning right into their old age, and they continue to apply what they have learned. Plus, deliberate and continued learning has some serious health benefits for the young and the old.
Let’s break down why learning and training the mind can be so helpful for you, no matter how old you are.
1. Learning Is Very Interesting
For starters, if you are learning about something you are interested in, then you just want to keep doing it on your own. You aren’t forced to learn it, but instead, your own internal drive is keeping you going as you seek to understand and apply your knowledge.
Especially if you are learning something with an active component like drawing, or learning a language because as you continue to amass more knowledge and skills you will also be practicing and getting better.
Simply continuing to learn can give many people a reason to live, because humans were born to be problem solvers, and learning gives you so many problems to solve in such a short period of time.
2. Learning Can Get You Outside And Moving
Learning isn’t just sitting down and reading books or reading information on a computer screen, many fields you can learn about also have an active component that ensures you are moving and using both your body and your brain. Whether you are learning to play a sport, learning to build or craft something, or are even inspired by a book or a documentary to take action on a topic, learning inspires action.
The act of learning is an act, an action that you take because you enjoy it, and often applying what you have learned is a physical thing. Plus, being able to show off your skills to people and share what you have learned leads to the third reason learning is so good for health.
3. Learning Inspires Sharing and Connection
Whether you have just learned your first chord on the guitar, drawn your first picture of a landscape, or just learned how to do a proper pushup, you almost instantly want to show someone. You’ve worked so hard and tried so much and now you want to share the fruits of your labor.
Especially for people who are older or who might feel isolated, it can be very empowering to share what they have done and what they have learned. Then, whether they get positive feedback or constructive criticism, they will not only want to learn more about the topic to get better results but they will also want to learn more skills.
It’s not uncommon for people who love to learn to find a community of others who are trying to learn the same thing they are and who want to lift one another up. That’s a real connection around a shared passion and it is always going to be very empowering.
4. Learning About Your Health Can Help You Improve It
Whenever people get older, or experience more physical and mental health conditions, they often find a drive to learn about what is happening to their body. They want to see if others have dealt with the same issue and what is suggested to remedy it.
Additionally, for people who are entering new chapters in life, learning can make the process easier to handle. For example, people who are 65 and older might find themselves learning about the basics of Medicare in order to better know why they need it and what coverage they are eligible for. Then with that knowledge, they can take charge of their health and continue to live long and happy lives.
Finally, the act of learning can help to keep your brain sharp, because you can focus on retaining information and can also focus on speaking that information to others clearly. Mental health and keeping your mind sharp is something that everyone takes for granted until it is gone, but constant learning can help you improve it.
Have Fun With Learning
Learning should be fun because there are so many health benefits to having fun and doing things that are very interesting to you. So don’t be afraid to pick a topic or field of study that you enjoy and just go crazy with it. Learn about whatever you would like, and once you have enough information start to do something with it.
The act of applying your knowledge and using it to create something, even if it is minor, is going to do a lot for your health and your mood. Plus, that feeling never goes away, so the more you spend time learning and applying your knowledge, the better and healthier you are going to feel.
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